TAYLOR – City officials completed an agreement last week that will bring a new trash and recycling service provider to town.

Rizzo Environmental Services will take over the routes beginning June 13, following city council’s approval of a contract.

Mayor Rick Sollars said the contract officially begins July 1, but that Rizzo will begin this week at no additional cost to the city and residents.

“We needed to make changes with Midwest,” Sollars said in a statement of the previous provider, Midwest Sanitation. “We had significant issues with the private-public partnership and performance. Midwest admitted that it could not improve in various areas, which opened the door for us to open negotiations with other firms.”

City council approved a transfer and revised contract, which will leave scheduled pickups of trash and recyclable materials the same for residents as it had been under Midwest.

The contract provides the same services that Midwest had performed, including weekly trash and recycling pickup – and will offer “Rizzo Rewards” programs for recycling – along with seasonal yard waste pickup.

Rizzo will be responsible for all expenses related to collection and transportation of waste, recyclables and yard waste, and will purchase the city’s fleet of garbage trucks for an estimated $400,000.

Previously the contract with Midwest required residents to pay additional fees for bulk pickup, which can now be arranged at no extra cost through Rizzo.

“This is a tremendous increase in service,” Sollars said. “As a resident I don’t expect to have to pay for ‘extra’ pickups.”

The contract also requires Rizzo to provide and maintain trash and recycling containers, which Sollars said will make available Department of Public Works staff and resources for other projects.